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Cost + overhead + a fair profit is the basic formula used by the HVAC industry to determine the price of a typical repair or equipment replacement. The net result of this practice is an average company net profit of 2% to 3% year-after-year. Let’s take a look at what some companies have learned to do to earn profits on some of their work that is ten times the industry average....More

Diagnosing the performance of an HVAC system is simple if you master the art of profiling. Profiling consists of taking a series of measurements across a system and subtracting to quickly find the cause of the system defect. Let’s take a look at how you can add profiling to your daily diagnostic routine....More

With fuel always being a large part of the budget, Bob Johnson wrote an article on Contractor Magazine’s website that the most effective way to reduce long-term vehicle costs is at the acquisition stage....More

Balancing a heating and cooling system that includes zoning requires several additional steps compared to a standard HVAC system. Without these extra steps, your customers may experience excessive noise and very low operating efficiencies....More

It never hurts to be well-educated. When it comes to helping contracting business employees do their job, training will come in handy for improving the skillset and knowledge base of workers, not to mention helping to satisfy customers....More

Many contractors and small businesses across multiple industries have seen their health insurance rates skyrocket each year. Now, according to NPR, many small companies are dropping their employee health insurance plans....More

Carol Fey wrote on Contractor Magazine’s website that instead of being serious all the time and “staring at Power Point presentations and Excel spreadsheets,” contractors should learn by playing with their tools....More

Our troops work hard to fight for our freedom, but many end up unemployed upon their return. The Washington Post reported last year that the unemployment rate for veterans who have served since 9/11 is at 10 percent, with 246,000 out of work....More

Air Systems, Inc. was recently recognized with a 1st Place 2014 Safety Excellence Award for “lowest injury and illness rate in the over 500,000 man-hour category” during 2013 from the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA)....More

Truth or dare? Chad Storlie had a bit of both for contracting business owners on Contract Magazine’s website. Storlie believes there is virtue in applying military tactics for calculating risks to small businesses....More

Sometimes the great outdoors gets into an HVAC system! Other times, good contractors find total hack jobs. Our updated "Wall of Shame" gallery shows what the good HVAC guys find on the job, sometimes in new homes!

Growing a business from the ground-up can be tough. We can’t all be lucky enough to win the lottery (like some HVAC companies have), but with the proper steps and work ethic, we don’t need to strike it rich. A business can be grown organically and see a fantastic level of success.